Clothesline protecting device



Nov. 22, 1932. R. SONNTAG 1,888,745

CLOTHESLINE PROTECTING DEVICE Filed June 17. 1931 Inventor E0551? T SON/V TAG gwm ' A llqrney Patented Nov. 22, 1932 NITED STATES! ROBERT SONNTAG, on JERSJELY cxmYQ vnw f:

QCLOTHESLINE PROTECTING nn vrcn- Application filed June 17, 1931. Serial No. 545,;114/

The present invention relates to new and -v useful improvements in clotheslines, and

more particularly it pertains to a new and novel device for protecting clothes from dirt which may have accumulated upon a clothes.-

line when the same is not in use.

II am aware that such devices have been; I

cthereferencecharacter 5 designates'a cl0thes.-'

heretofore devised, but all such devices with which I am familiar have many disadvantages which my invention is designed toeliminate.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a new and novel form of device for paying out a protecting element in the form of a tape which is adapted to surround the clothesline and cover the same as the clothes are attached to the line.

It is a further object of the invention so to construct a device of this character that 2 0 the protecting tape will at all times be smooth and straight for regular laying upon the clothesline V It is a still further object of the invention so to construct a device of this character that the tape will be paid out or reeled in automatically by manipulation of the clothesline and in a manner entirely independent of the pulleys around which the clothesline passes.

A further object of the invention resides in a novel construction whereby the reel upon which the protecting tape is wound is operated by frictional contact with the clothesline thus insuring a properpaying off and taking up of the tape regardless of the change in diameter of the tape body carried by the tape reel. r 5

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood and for this purpose; reference will be had to the accompanying draw ing forming a part of this application and in which, 7

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation partly in section of a device constructed in accord ance with the present lnventlon,

p15 and said tape "reel 1 5 i s mounted for rotation ,upon a bolt or the like 16 which has a head 17 and a threaded extremity-18 forthe which consists of two members 20 i pivotally ,mounted. as at 21 line pulley 5.

Figure is a-topiplan view theidr; V Flgure 3 isa vertical sectionaliview taken on the line 3+3 of Figural, and a I Figure/1 is aperspec-t'vtaview of'the tape I guide, the guide being detached from itsi frame. 1 1 Referring morespecifically to the drawing,

linezpul-ley of conventidnal'type which'is rotatablymounted in a=1frame 6 which in turn u i V 1 0 a i 3 18 mounted for movement in ahorizontal "plane about a vertical pivot/*7. Theipivot'7 comprises abolt, screw or the like 8 mounted inthe arms of a suitable bracket-Qawhich in turn is secured-tea window% sill, 10; "l Thegca The present invention includes a tape reel reception :of avnut 19. This pivotal mou'nting of the tape reel 15 is carried :by aframe in the frame 6 of the clothes- 1 'The frame 20 of the reel; pair of downwardly. curved members25 each iof which is formed with a vertical extension 26 which in turn are connected bymeans of a jtransv'erse brace 27." The entire vtape'reel frame 20 and itsmembers- 25 are pivotally The clothesline is'designated 30, and asillustrated it passes around the roller 5;. The protecting tape is designated 31 and is wound" uponthe tape reel 15 and is adapted to enclose the clothesline 30 as the clothes are placed; thereon, the tape being fed automaticallymby movement of the clothesline. To effectithis automatic feeding of the tape, the clothesline I 7 ing of the tape thereon depending of course upon the direction of travel of the clothesline, i I Thus it will be apparent that asthe clothes I line is moved, the tape reel will be autoparallel side members of said second named frame, a tape trained about said reel, and a guide extending in superposed relation to the tape trained about said reel and having oneend'thereof pivoted to the second named frame and having the other end thereof provided with a loop receiving said tape,; said guide being positioned between the-spaced parallel side members frame. r v I In testimony whereof I affix my signature. I ROBERT SONNTAG.

matically rotated by reason of frictional contact of the clothesline ithjthetapeonthe reel I and that also, the tape'reel is free to rotate in dependently of the clothesline pulley which I a V is a great advantagein the device in that increased or decreased diameter of thetape body 7 on the tape reel does not effect the rate of Means is providedtoguide the tape and insures its-even winding uponthe tape reel 15',

and this means comprises an arched member pivotally mounted as at 36- in the frame of the tapereel 15, and arched over the tape reel 15has its free end extended downwardly in I the. line of the tape as it leaves the tapereel' Y I which the tape will at-all times be smooth and the guide 35.

15; The free end of the guide 35 is formed speed of the tape as wouldbe the case where V the tape is driven" directly from the clothes-' line pulley 5.:

with an'eye 37 through which the tape passes. v

This guide may be formed from a single piece of Wirebent upon itself with its free ends Y- shaped as'indicated at 39 to provide for piv- .otally mounting the same, the eye 37 being preferably of elongated form and formed in o the looped end of the two members forming From the foregoing it will be apparent that I the present invention provides anew and- 7 novel device of this character and onein flat', and will be fed at the desired speedto States, is; V v

entirely independent of the whichtheclotheslinetravels; I I i layeit uponthe clothesline without distortion of the tape. Furthermore, the invention provides a tape feeding mechanism which is While the invention has been herein disof said second named i pul ley 'about d I closedin a preferred form, it is to be 'understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction herein shown, and that it may be practiced in other forms with out departing from the spirit thereof.

I Havin thus described the invention, what isclaimed as new, and what it is desired to-secure 'by Letters Patent of the United "In-- a structure of the class des'cribed','a

frame having a pulley mounted thereoma sec- 10nd frame in alignment. with said. first men :tioned frame; having spaced parallel :side

memberspivotedtothe framev of said" clothesline pulley, a reel mounted between the spaced 

